Leslie Shootout Winner Announced!

AND the winner of the Atlantic Hurricane Leslie Shootout is.... Adam Cornick from Nova Scotia.

He was both the public and the judges' first choice, a unanimous decision.

When we first contacted Adam his response was, and I quote: "WHOOOOOAAAAA!"

After settling down we asked him a few questions about the comp, winning, and how surf photographers fare in Nova Scotia. The prize for coming first is a trip around the Maldives, including flights, aboard the Haira, a top quality charter boat courtesy of the theperfectwave.

*As we had so many top shots we added a couple of runner up prize packs, these go to: Doug Falter and windnsea3475.

So congratulations Adam - you are the winner - how does that feel? You'll be swapping the frigid waters of Nova Scotia for the balmy tropics next spring/summer.

Thanks so much. Well, to say it feels good is an understatement, and the prospect of surfing in shorts and not a 6mm wetsuit is equally amazing. It's an honour to win this competition.

I've been surfing for 20 years now, which in itself is a pretty scary thought. I still get pretty giddy about it, still the same excitement when driving to check the waves as all those years ago. I guess that's what makes people get up before dawn year round to go and check the waves, that anticipation of catching the conditions just right. I still love it.

Why'd you take it up?

Growing up in Dorset, England, summertime was all about trips down to Devon and Cornwall to rent boards and get in surfing. It wasn't hard to get hooked. Then I heard stories of cheap overseas surf trips with amazing waves. I was lucky enough to travel for around 10 years, working all summer then heading to warmer overseas destinations for the winter, working any old jobs I could find. It was a good time for sure, and as a result, I met my gorgeous Canadian wife and moved to Nova Scotia.

I've always had a passion to produce artwork, and I have a degree in Fine Art. I really like the instant article that photography gives you. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you wish. Choosing surfing as a subject for my photography is a no brainer I guess, as it's something I know so well.

Having spent thousands of hours studying the sea and watching its every move, it gives you an insight in to what is appealing for other surfers to see in an image. I like to trigger that emotion in people that they have when they see a spot firing when they come over the horizon. But I like it that non surfers also get something out of my shots too. This is why most of my images tend to be surfing landscapes as opposed to one person surfing a wave, as I want my work to appeal to a wider audience.

How is it shooting in Nova Scotia in deep winter? How does the camera handle the cold?

Don't let the images or the romance of it lead you astray, winter here is brutal. Not growing up here, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it. It certainly takes some dedication that's for sure. That said, despite getting below 0oc at its coldest, the sea is actually the warmest place to be in the middle of winter.

The cameras don't love it though, that's for sure. Going from -25oc then in to a car with the heating on is the best way to get your camera to fog up. Keeping your fingers working in those kind of temperatures is the hardest part though. Something as simple as unlocking your car can become a bit of a task.

Does your art and photography (site here) pay all the bills in the Cornick household?

Not yet haha!. I'm working on it pretty hard though, along with a full time job. This is what I love doing, and until someone comes along and wants to pay me to do this, I'm going alone. I put every spare minute I have in to it. I have an art show planned for next month, and I'm in the process of getting a website built to take print and canvas orders, so the pieces are falling in to place.

People had a long time to get excited about Hurricane Leslie, due to how slowly the storm moved up the coast. With an eye on the Magic Seaweed shootout, I treated it as any other photography assignment that I undertake. I studied the charts, arranged time off of work, ordered the rental of an amazing lens and set the alarm clock every day until I got the shots.

What was incredible was the day "Three Shades of Green" was taken, all the elements fell perfectly in to place. The swell was firing, the wind was offshore, the weather was incredible, the surfers were on fire, and the chosen spot delivered the goods. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else on that day.

I guess for two reasons. Firstly, as an artist, it's a great place to showcase your shots, get a gauge of how well your work is received and what shots tickle people's interest. Secondly it's a great way to get your work and name out there to a worldwide audience.

Without wanting to sound like an Oscars' acceptance speech, here goes:

First up, thanks to Jacob Albury for giving that wave a good old smack at the right time. Thanks to my family for putting up with the early mornings/late nights and to MSW and The Perfect Wave for putting this comp on. Finally, a shout out to the other contestants for what was an extremely strong showing, amazing work.